Building your dream home is a major commitment. First, you need to find a custom home builder, then you need to work with them throughout the rest of the process. Many future homeowners already have a vision for their dream home in mind.
Unfortunately, having the vision doesn’t always make the road to building a home easy. From finding your dream lot to finalizing design details, home building can be harder than you might realize–but it doesn’t have to be.
Utah custom home builder, Highland Custom Homes, is here to help you understand what is most important to consider when building your home. Our home building advice includes tips for finding the right luxury home builder, questions you should ask a potential custom home builder, and everything you need to know before beginning the process.
Below you will see some excellent things to consider when building your dream home, but the location of your home is just as important. Here are all the reasons you should build your home in Utah.
If you’re interested in some expert home building advice, look no further. Let’s begin by breaking down the top things you should consider when building a custom home.
What You Should Know When Building a Custom Home
1. Prioritize What Matters Most
Before you settle on a custom home builder, you should start by looking at possible home sites. First, consider what is most important to you and your family. If you have small children, you might need to look for a neighborhood with a great school system. Perhaps you need to stay close to your office. Prioritize what matters most to you.
Fully assess your needs, and then you can look for a lot that will best fit those priorities. Think about what you need. You should also figure out which factors are more flexible than others. Different cities and lots will boast various benefits and downsides. You must be willing to look at each city critically in order to properly assess what different areas offer.
Consider deal-breakers. If you have a few deal-breakers, don’t let a real estate agent or anyone else try to make you compromise. The more thoughtful you approach finding a location, the happier you will be when all is said and done.
It might be difficult, but keep in mind that knowing what matters most will save you a lot of time and money down the road.
2. Know the Difference Between Lot Size vs. Square Footage
Once you find the area in which you want to build your new custom home, you’ll need to find a lot. You can do this before finding a luxury home builder or afterward. No matter which you choose, during the search, remember that building a custom home is working within your lot size.
Working with a custom home builder, you will have the ability to build as big or as small as you want without a lot of things holding you back. Since this is the case, picking a lot will come down to what you need. If you have a large family or want to build a large house, try to find a lot that offers enough square footage. Perhaps you want a big yard. Pick a lot with plenty of acreages leftover once you build a home.
Remember, it is better to have space leftover than getting in a bind during design that leaves you frustrated with the result.
3. Look for a Home Builder Who Offers Support
As you start looking for a home builder, you must find one that offers support. The custom home building process can be more frustrating than you would expect; having a builder that acts more like a partner will go a long way. Look for custom home builders that care about building relationships with their clients.
You can get a better idea of how a builder treats their homeowners by reading client testimonials. Before meeting with a luxury home builder, you should scan online reviews. Client reviews are a great way to get a sense of how a company operates. You should consider every review, including the good and the bad.
If there happens to be a bad review, look to see how the company handled the situation. Did they openly respond or offer solutions? It speaks volumes of a home builder if they are willing to rectify a situation that didn’t go the way their client expected.
You should take all reviews seriously, but make sure that you ask the home builder for a list of references during your initial meeting. These references, along with the business’s online reviews, will give you a good idea of how your custom home building process might go once it starts.
4. Ask the Right Questions
Custom homes are exactly what the name implies— custom. If you work with a custom home builder, your home will meet your exact specifications. You will decide with your builder’s direction, everything from the location of your new home to the home’s floor plan. While most custom builds take longer than other home types, the finished product far exceeds the rest.
Since custom home building is more extensive than other home construction, you will need to be thorough when finding a home builder. You must ask any prospective builders the right questions. Here are a few that our team suggests:
- How long have you been in business?
- Do you have an active home builder license?
- What kind of insurance do you have?
- Do you hire subcontractors?
- Can you offer a list of references?
- How long will the project take?
- Can you meet my expectations within my budget?
- What makes you the best choice for building my home?
Your home builder should meet all of your expectations. Communicate what you need and ask them for thorough answers. Use these questions as a jumping-off point, and you are likely to have an open dialogue that ensures you get the best builder to construct your dream home.
5. Focus on the Details
As you begin building your custom home, don’t be afraid to finalize design details. Your home builder should be patient with you, and you should be patient with them. Together, you can strike the right balance in communicating expectations. Remember that this Is your home, so don’t skimp on things that matter to you.
Your custom home builder is there to help you create a home that ticks all the right boxes. If you feel that you are compromising on anything, work with your builder. The chances are that they won’t want you without the factors that matter to you the most.
If it takes longer for you to build your custom home, don’t worry. Rome wasn’t built in a day. So, take your time and get every detail completed to perfection. After all, this is your dream home.
6. Enjoy the Ride
Too many times, new homeowners have horror stories about building a custom home. Don’t let that happen to you. The custom home building process shouldn’t feel difficult. Find the right custom home builder and enjoy the process. At Highland Custom Homes, the home building experience won’t be daunting. Our team focuses on building relationships with our clients that last.
Through each stage of home building, we will keep our lines of communication open and honest. Doing so will build trust between our team and yours. Together, we can create a rewarding home building experience.
No matter which home builder you choose, do your homework. A good custom home builder will have excellent online reviews, be transparent in their building process, and have open communication lines to build trust with you as their customer.
The Custom Home Builders at Highland Custom Homes
Highland Custom Homes believes in empowering our homeowners throughout the custom home building process. Our team builds luxury homes, as we create a strong, lasting relationship with our clients. We put our experience and knowledge to create a home that is more than sticks and bricks. We want your home to be an extension of your life’s work or a legacy of who you are. Every client has different needs, and we are equipped and ready to meet yours by creating a home designed just for you.
Browse our collection of custom homes today to see how Highland Custom Homes can help you build your dream home.
What To Expect When Building Your Custom Home With Highland Custom Homes